About Van Davis

Birth: 1725 Death: Nov. 10, 1810

Van Davis r/t(Reason,John, Morgan David,) was born 1740 in VA, and died November 10, 1810 in Anderson County, SC. He married (1) Susannah Cary 1759 in Orange, NC, She was born Abt. 1735 in VA?, and died 1801. He married (2) Rebecca Brimer 1803. He married (3) Lucy Anderson 1805. She died Aft. 1810

Van & Susannah belonged to the Bush River Bapt Church until 4/12/1800, then they joined the Mt Creek Bapt , Anderson SC (see more in DAVIS FAMILY of THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY) !WILL: Vol 1, Sec A, p 121 Anderson Co SC !LAND: Vann rec'd with{ his br. Harmon Davis Sr} their survey on the same day 12 Apr 1764, plat bk 9, p 82. They had lived on Abbott's Creek, Winston Salem, NC. Grant date 20 Aug 1767 for 200 acres in Berkeley Dist on br of Indian Creek called Davis Creek, in the forks of Broad and Saluda R. He re. 17 May 1774, 150 ac in Craven Co on the br of Enoree R and on 2 Sep 1784, warrant fr John Thomas, Esq. for 171 ac in 96th Dist Pendleton (now Anderson or Pickens SC) N side of the Saluda river below ancient boundary line on Beaver Dam Creek, adj. Isiah Pemberton, Providence Williams, Thomas Carter and William Miles. On 12 Sep, 1785 he re 410 ac in Orange burgh Dist on Buckheard br of Big Salkelchers adj Henry Wood. !MILITARY: Vann served in the Rev War, but appears only on an undated list of Officers and enlisted men of Regiments of various states and the Continental Arm Regiments under the head of Armonds.

From SC Wills. pp 121-122 (extract-typed) My 12 children have all left me and received their portion (viz) Hezekiah, Abijah, dec'd, Nathan, Jesse, Eliphas and Vann my sons and Martha, Rachael, Hannah, Melea(?), Jean and Rhoda my daughters. To each of them $1.50. I had given my grandson John Davis something considerable in my will of 11 Dec last but as he has proved disobedient and has left me I will give him nothing more than a mare and saddle he has in his possession. To wife Lucy plantation and negro woman Beck and all other property to be at her disposal. Executors: Wife Lucy. Dated 14 Apr, 1810. Signed Vnn (X) Davis witnesses: James Hembre, Sr. Marks (X) Pitts, Susannah Pitts Proven 23 Nov 1810

He gave to Lucy Davis "dearly beloved wife", all the remainder of the estate, the plantation of 130 ac, a Negro woman named Becke, household furniture, stock, plantation tools, and all other goods and chattels. The will was witnessed by James Hembree, Sr, Mark Pitts and Susanna Pitts. Lucy was sole executrix. Probate records show that Van's son Jesse objected in court to his stepmother's probation of the estate, but the will was probated as written. The four sons-in-law of Van who signed for their wives portions were Joseph Hall, Thomas Burress, Amariah Felton and David Tate. The children of Van Davis and his first wife are listed below in the same order as named in Van's will. Hezekiah, his wife was Sarah in 1794. He served 46 days in the SC Rev Militia with the state owing him 1 lb 8 sh sterlings (Index Book No. 55); Abijah, deceased before 1810 when his father's will was made.; Nathan, served 59 days in the SC Rev Mil, with the state owing him 4lb 4 sh & 3 pce sterling; Jesse b. 1770-1774; Eliphas; Van, Jr.; Martha; Rachel; Hannah; Melia; Jean; Rhoda.

My 12 children have all left me and received their portion (viz) Hezekiah, Abijah, dec'd, Nathan, Jesse, Eliphas and Vann, my sons and Martha, Rachael, Hannah, Melea(?), Jean and Rhoda, my daughters. To each of them $1.50. I had given my grandson, John Davis, something considerable in my will of 11 Dec last but as he has proved disobedient and has left me, I will give him nothing more than a mare and saddle he has in his possession. To wife, Lucy, plantation and negro woman Beck and all other property to be at her disposal. Executors: Wife Lucy. Dated 14 Apr 1810. Signed Vnn (X) Davis witnesses: James Hembre, Sr. Marks (X) Pitts, Susannah Pitts. Proven 23 Nov 1810. June 22, 1986 Unknown Paper: REMEMBERING THE PAST. Nearly 200 people turned out last weekend to witness the raising of a monument in the modern cemetery at Mountain Creek Baptist Church on U.S. 29 South, commemorating the memory of an Upstate man who has been dead 176 years. Van Davis was born around 1725 in Orange County, N.C. and moved to South Carolina in 1766. He fathered 6 sons and six daughters by his first wife (he married twice more after her death), and in his 50's, helped furnish supplies to the rebel forces fighting the Tories and British in South Carolina. Before his death in 1810, Davis moved to the Pendleton District where his sons settled. A Deacon of the Mountain Creek Church, he was buried there. Van Davis' grave, marked only with a fieldstone, has been lost. But the Hudson Berry Chapter of the Daughter's of the American Revolution raised the new stone in memory of Davis' contribution to his country, their effort documented by the research of Davis' descendents, Laura Mentzel of Phoenix, Ariz., and Lamar Davis of Toccoa, Ga.